The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1887-01-01
4 BIG FIRE.
Loss, Over 100000
Insurance $135,OOO
A Review of the
Calamity.

No greater calamity could have hap
pened to Newark than befell last Satur-
day, Christmas day, in the burning of
the Dean Wooden Mills. So directly af-
fecting the vital interests of the town, its
growth and prosperity, and coming at a
time when the future seemed to promise
so much, the misfortune falls the more
heavily. The particulars have been re-
lated over and over again, and there is
very little to be said that is new, but the
main facts will bear repetition.
An alarm of fire was sounded about o
o'clock on Christmas morning. The cry
spread rapidly from mouth to mouth that
the Wooden Mills were burning, and in
thirty minutes almost the entire popula-
ton of the town were on the grounds.
the majority of them directly interested
in the result, merchants as well as mill
hands. Picture to yourself thousand
people feeling the ground slipping away
from them, and you have a faint concep-
ton of the excitement possessing every
one. The fire was discovered before it
had made much progress, and it should
have been conquered. But it is said
that failure to attack the seat of fire at
once instead Of consuming time in at
taching hose, etc, permitted the fire to
gain Roadway that proved fatal After
the hose had been attached, the exact
location of the fire could not be discover
ed, owing to the dense smoke, although
it was known to be somewhere on the
second floor of the northernmost build
ing. The fire rapidly spread, feeding on
the inflammable materials at hand and in
less than an hourthe mills were doomed.
All this time the flames had been fought
VIII Inadequate means, and there be-
ing no steam fire engine in the town, aid
was asked Of Wilmington. In answer to
this request, Chief Engineer Sweeney, of
the Wilmington Fire Department, ordered
the Phoenix and the Weccacoe Steam
Fire Engine Companies to the scene.
They arrived at l1:30 o'clock, their spec
ial train covering IL miles in 10 minutes.
They went to work with a will, and sue
ceeded in saving the dye house, and
other property near the mill, no small
item.
WILL THE MILL BE REBUILT?
That is the question on everyone's
tongue, and the general anxiety. can only
be removed by the special meeting of the
stockholders, which has been called for
Wednesday, January ~, 1887. Whether
the decision then made is for rebuilding
or adverse to it, will largely determine
the present prosperity of the town. AL
though the failure to rebuild would be a
serious blow, Newark is far from being
dead town. Yet many years would be
required to put the town on good foot
ing, if the loss of the mill is to be perma-
nent, and business men, laboring men,
professional men, all, are hoping to see
the mills rebuilt. The stockholders are
mainly men of advanced and progressive
ideas, public spirited, and to them all
eyes are turned hopefully. The mills
carried on business successfully while
Newark had only one line of railroad, and
it follows that prosperity might safely be
with two outlets, the p, w. &
b., and the B. & o. roads. Report has
it that the business outlook for the es-
Enlistment has lately been very good.
Reports from the business centres also
indicate pretty good condition of trade.
there can be only nice
ture as to the works, for the stockholders
themselves can promise nothing, and do
not even predict. There will be consid-
cradle impotence to learn the result of
the special meeting on the 18th.
THE DAMAGE DONE.
The buildings burned were as follows
The old mill, of stone, known as No. l,
l6Ox60 feet, three stories high, with a
basement No. ., new building, built
in 1882, also of stone, 226x5O feet, two
stories high four tenement houses.
The buildings were equipped with mod
ern machinery and appliances. most of
which is total wreck. The dye-house,
with machinery worth about $4,000, the
boilers, worth about $4,000 and the dry
house, 81 900 to 81 800, were saved, The
total loss will foot up between 100000 |
and $4,000, which is much less than has
been reported. The amountof insurance
is also somewhat less than has been |
given. There is about $l35,0OO insur-
ance, in over thirty companies of Phila-
delphia, New York, Hartford, Brooklyn,
London and Liverpool. The Farmers
Mutual and the New Castle County Mu-
tual of Wilmington, have respectfully |
$1,000 and $4,000 on the destroyed prop |
erty.
THOSE AFFECTED.
Probably the greatest loss is the loss
Of employment to the 260 hands thrown |
out of work. About 700 or 800 persons
were dependent on the mill for a liveli-
hood. In turn merchants and trade |
must be affected. Not less so the stock
holders, the most prominent of whom
are the following local holders VIM.
Dean, John Pilling, Miss Ada Wilson,
N. NJ. Motherall, Miss Mary Motherall,
Mrs. Caulk, the Estate of Rev. w d. Mack
ey, Mr.. Will Cook and others, and these
from other towns; Thomas f. Bayard,
E. +. Church, New York, f. II. Ban
croft, Camden, Del, +. Bradford, Will
= Fisher, Wyoming, Del, Rev
J. L. Polk, and others.